Page 7 - Native Languages 9-10 (1999)

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THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9 AND 10: NATIVE LANGUAGES
organizing special school-wide events, such as Language Week. They should also encourage students in the Native languages program to use the Native language they are studying in school projects, drama nights, and school clubs.
Teachers of languages such as English, French, and international languages make use of tech- niques and activities that are similar to those used by Native language teachers. For this reason, regular meetings to discuss strategies and activities can be very helpful. In particular, Native language teachers can adapt the activities and modify the materials used in other language classes for use in their program.
Curriculum Expectations
The expectations identified for each course describe the knowledge and skills that students are expected to develop and demonstrate in their class work, on tests, and in various other activi- ties on which their achievement is assessed and evaluated.
Two sets of expectations are listed for each strand, or broad curriculum area, of each course. The overall expectations describe in general terms the knowledge and skills that students are expected to demonstrate by the end of each course. The specific expectations describe the expected knowledge and skills in greater detail.
The specific expectations are organized under subheadings. This organization is not meant to imply that the expectations in any one group are achieved independently of the expectations in the other groups. The subheadings are used merely to help teachers focus on particular aspects of knowledge and skills as they plan learning activities for their students.
Some of the expectations are accompanied by examples, given in parentheses. These examples are meant to illustrate the kind of skill, the specific area of learning, the depth of learning, and/or the level of complexity that the expectation entails. They are intended as a guide for teachers rather than as an exhaustive or mandatory list.
Some expectations for the Native language courses have been repeated in successive courses, thus reflecting both the complex and progressive nature of skills development and the fact that students may be entering these courses with different previous experience in Native languages.
The expectations outlined for NL1, NL2, and NL3 apply to courses in all seven Native languages that are recognized for the purposes of the Native languages program: Cayuga, Cree, Delaware, Mohawk, Ojibwe, Oji-Cree, and Oneida.
Strands
The expectations for Native languages courses at the secondary level are organized into three strands, which correspond to the three main areas of language use. The three strands are: Oral Communication, Reading, and Writing. The overall expectations in each strand provide a broad picture of what students will know and be able to do at the end of each course. All the knowledge and skills outlined in the expectations for each course support the objectives of the Native languages program, which includes controlled and unstructured language practice and makes students aware of both the structural and functional workings of the Native language being studied. The curriculum in all courses is designed to develop a range of essential skills in oral language, reading, and writing, including a foundation in spelling, grammar, and the skills in using oral language accurately. Students will be expected to develop skills using print and electronic media as learning resources.